Championship Drive: Phase III Construction Underway

The Championship Drive, a three-phase stadium expansion and renovation project that began in 2013, began its final stage of construction in late November of 2018. The project is expected to be completed by August 2019.

Our rich athletic history is a very important part of Bishop Kelley High School. Today, our coaches and student-athletes stand on the shoulders of the student-athletes and coaches of yesteryear in carrying on the great tradition of Bishop Kelley Athletics.

To honor the accomplishments of those who came before and to provide facilities for our current and future students, coaches, fans, and media members, we are excited to announce that Bishop Kelley will begin construction on its final phase (III) in late November of 2018.

With construction expected to wrap up in the summer of 2019, the school will complete The Championship Drive, an ambitious renovation of our stadium facilities that began in 2013 with the construction of the Jim Scalet Family Fieldhouse on the east side of the stadium; that was followed by the renovation and expansion of the west side facility, now known as the Dill Family Fieldhouse which was completed in 2016.

Also in 2016, a new video board/jumbotron was added to the north end of Prassa Field. During the summer of 2018, the ten-year old turf on the stadium field was replaced with new turf, providing a much safer playing field for our athletes. In addition, the original stadium lights were replaced by energy efficient LED lights that are guaranteed for 10,000 hours.

The new home stands and press box will feature 300 chair back seats, wider aisles with railings, better entrances and exits, lots of handicap seating, an elevator to the press box which will include ample space for home and visiting coaches, visiting media, score and clock operators and announcer, a new north ticket booth with Spirit Store, and a new donor plaza featuring the 1981 state championship Prassa statue. That plaza will be located between the south end of the home stands and the Dill Family Fieldhouse.

Each of these improvements is designed to benefit crowds of all ages by making the stadium more accessible and easier for older persons to maneuver; it will very much benefit our guests including media, visiting coaches, and those tasked with working the games; and it will greatly increase the overall fan experience, allowing for more fans to be seated comfortably during games, reducing the need for fans to stand along the perimeter fences in order to see games.

We have more students participating in sports than ever before. Bishop Kelley is now playing sports against schools which have top-notch, publicly-funded facilities. We find ourselves playing for bigger crowds with higher expectations, competing for the best students in the area, and trying to attract and retain the best coaches.

Our former press box that was 120 square feet in size would not accommodate media; thus the Tulsa World refused to cover BK games because the World’s sports writer couldn’t be seated inside; Cox Media offered to carry a live broadcast of a BK football home game at no cost to the school but had not been able to do so because of the limitations of the former press box.

Phases I, II, and III would not have been possible without the amazing generosity of donors; some families gave in excess of $1M to help BK renovate its stadium as they saw this as a priority to improve the experience for our athletes, coaches, fans, and the fans of opposing teams who visit our stadium. Others gave amounts of $100 or more. All gifts were critical to the success of The Championship Drive. We are eternally grateful to our donors for their support.

Whether you are a donor who could give $25, $2,500, or $250,000, we would welcome your gifts today to help BK finish off the stadium in grand style. You may give online at www. bishopkelley.org /championship-donate. Or, you can send a check made out to Bishop Kelley at 3905 S. Hudson Ave., Tulsa, OK, 74135. Please write “stadium” on the memo line of your gift. If you have any questions about giving to this project, please contact Director of Philanthropy Doug Thomas at 918.609.7115 or at dthomas@bishopkelley.org. Bishop Kelley very much appreciates your support!